Poisoned Blades
by Irene14
Summary: Troy says he's exhausted after a vicious battle with Creepox but Jake sensed their leader was hiding something. Their combined Ranger power in the Megazord should have rejuvenated Troy so what was going on? Missing scene for "Stranger Ranger" S1Ep4; rated T for injury (and because I don't want to rate wrong). Reviews welcome!


_Author's Note: While this is rated "M" it may be suitable as "T" but I do not want to rate wrong since it contains injury/post-trauma care (as only Power Rangers can do). Purely a fan story for other fans and I certainly do not make any money from this. Enjoy!_

 **Poisoned Blades**

Troy abruptly folded forward and demorphed, grunting as Jake quickly caught him around the chest.

"Troy!" exclaimed the others stepping forward.

Jake noted ominous warm wetness seeping into his gloved hand circling Troy. Instinctively he knew their leader wasn't just exhausted, he had been injured but didn't want the others to know. With Troy leaning against the Black Ranger's shoulder, Jake whipped out his morpher, "Tensou! I need an emergency teleport for me and Troy. Now!"

"Right away," came Tensou's robotic reply.

"Meet us back at the Command Center," Jake directed the others who wore identical expressions of concern. Golden light enveloped them and deposited them in the cave.

"Jake, what happened?" Gosei's voice boomed out.

"Troy's been injured," Jake replied. "Tensou, I need a bed," he directed before the robot could start his incessant babble.

"I'll be fine," Troy breathed. He tried to step away from Jake only to have his legs give out. For the second time in less than 5 minutes, Jake caught his leader and pulled one arm across his shoulders, wrapping the other around Troy's waist.

"You're not fine," he refuted while Troy tried to catch his breath. "Let go, I've got your back."

Troy battled with himself momentarily: he was their leader, meant to inspire them to give it their all without giving up himself! Weakness of any kind wasn't an option. Feeling ashamed for showing it, he refused to look at Jake instead staring at the floor. Again he tried to push away from Jake only to find the other teen's arm tighten around his waist.

Jake could sense Troy's inner turmoil and he understood his leader's predicament yet he had to reach him. "Troy, look at me." Guarded green orbs met concerned brown ones. "The others aren't here, you don't need to keep this up. We're a team, we work together and if any of us were injured you would be the first one to help. Now let me help _you_." Doubt shadowed Troy's face. "Please," he pleaded.

Though Troy was already leaning on him, Jake was unprepared for the sudden near collapse of his friend against him. Fortunately Tensou was nearby with the requested cot and Jake eased Troy into a sitting position as he knelt in front of him.

"Oh my, oh my, oh MY!" Tensou nervously wheeled back and forth.

"Tensou, he'll be ok," Jake reassured. "Go get me medical supplies and hot water," he directed, turning his attention back to Troy. "Hey, we need to get your jacket and shirt off." Troy nodded once and attempted to remove his jacket but a pained gasp stopped him short. Wordlessly Jake reached forward and worked the jacket off both arms, set it aside, and started to pull Troy's shirt up.

"Aah!" Troy cried out slumping to rest his forehead on Jake's shoulder. Instead of trying a second time, Jake slipped one arm behind Troy's back the other under Troy's knees and pivoted him to lay on the bed. It was immediately clear blood soaking Troy's shirt was impeding Jake's ability to access the wounds. The Black Ranger stood indecisively for a moment until Gosei intervened.

"Jake. Take bandage scissors, cut the shirt, soak it with water then you can remove it. Tensou get a blanket and be quiet," Gosei ordered the panicking robot. Tensou immediately quit talking and did as he was instructed.

Jake nodded and grabbed the scissors from the rolling medical tray Tensou had put next to him. Swiftly he cut Troy's shirt open on the sides from shoulder to waist and slit the sleeves open. Taking the water bowl and cloth, he squeezed water over the remaining shirt and began to work it loose. Troy's breathing picked up slightly and he groaned as the shirt slowly came free. Finally Jake was able to toss it aside to get a look at the extent of the injury.

Four long gashes crisscrossed Troy's chest with pinpoint burn marks illustrating the viciousness of Creepox's attack. Fresh blood continued to ooze from the wounds but most concerning was the blackened appearance along the edges of each slash. Worry furrowed Jake's brow.

"Gosei, the edges of the wounds are black," he worried, turning towards the tiki head. "I think Creepox's blades may have been lined poison."

Gosei was silent for a moment. "You must work quickly Jake or the poison will spread throughout his body."

Jake shuddered at what Troy must have endured in battle and again to call the Megazord to a second fight without a break. He knew Troy hadn't wanted to concern the others simply letting on he was exhausted but Jake had sensed Troy was holding back. Now he knew why. Recalling his previous summer's first aid training he reached for the hydrogen peroxide bottle and a clean cloth. "This is gonna hurt a little," he gulped. Troy simply nodded and gripped the edges of the cot with both hands.

Jake took a moment to compose himself and decided to treat one wound at a time so as to not overwhelm Troy or worse, cause him to pass out. He moved methodically, spraying each wound and dabbing it clean. Troy's ragged breathing sounded in his ears but the Black Ranger kept on. He used the butterfly closures to pull the worst gaps of Troy's wounds together, then covered them with gauze pads. "Troy, I'm going to sit you up, ok?"

A curt nod was all the acknowledgment he was going to see. Troy's hands were clenched into fists and his eyes were squeezed shut. As Jake slid a hand under either shoulder and eased the Red Ranger up , Troy was unable to stop the cry of agony that slipped out. "Hurts," he grunted, gripping the other teen's upper arm while Jake finished binding his chest with gauze wrap..

"I know," Jake flinched feeling Troy's pain leak through their team bond. He could tell Troy had a tight hold to keep his anguish from reaching the others but it was taking all Troy's focus and his strength was waning while the poison began to spread. Mentally Jake shored up the block and redirected Troy's pain towards himself as he lowered Troy back to the bed. He was unprepared for the intense searing that stole his breath but it was worth it to see a little of Troy's tension release.

By this time, Tensou had brought an extra blanket and disposed of the bloodied cloths. Jake spread the blanket over Troy, then used a clean cloth to dab the sweat from Troy's face. Pushing his leader's hair back, Jake frowned at how haggard Troy still looked and how much suffering continued to radiate through their Ranger bond. The wound care he had done should have helped at least a little. "Gosei, isn't there anything else I can do?" he worried.

Gosei spoke in a gentle tone. "Jake. Though your powers do protect from deadly harm there are still times when a Ranger can succumb to injury. The combination of Creepox's venom, Troy's wounds, and Megazord fight have made this happen. Now you must call upon an ancient power of healing. It is a transfer of your Ranger power to Troy that will put him in a deep restorative sleep, but will also drain you."

"I'll do it," Jake agreed without hesitation.

"No," came Troy's anguished whisper. "I'll be fine, just need to rest."

Jake turned to his leader. "We're a team, remember? You would do the same for me."

The corners of Troy's mouth turned up and Jake smiled. "Gosei, what do I do?"

"First another bed for when you're finished you will need 12 hours of sleep to recharge and Troy will need 24 hours of healing. Tensou, bring another bed."

"Yes Gosei," the robot moved quickly. Jake had nearly forgotten Tensou, so quiet he had been since Gosei ordered him to be.

"Hurry, the others will be returning soon. You must not be interrupted. I will guide you through."

Jake nodded and settled on the floor next to Troy's bed into a meditative position on his knees with his feet tucked under him. Three deep even breaths allowed Gosei's baritone wash over him like waves of the ocean. Reaching deep inside he felt the comforting still-new glow of his Ranger power as well as the vague presence of something more. Focusing through the dense fog (where had _that_ come from?) he was just able to make out distant rangers holding their hands out as if offering their own power. Trusting in Gosei to lead him safely, he opened the connection between him and Troy allowing the severity of Troy's exhaustion and life-threatening injuries to reach these other Rangers. They immediately connected with him lending their combined power to heal Troy.

Jake felt an electric charge hum from his very bones. Eyes opening, everything appeared in a golden glow but Troy's bandaged chest was a nasty black aura. The poison! Even without Gosei's voice guiding him, Jake instinctively knew what to do. He reached forward to lay his right hand squarely on Troy's injured chest and the left on Troy's forehead. With a deep breath Jake gathered all the power he was being offered and poured it into the Red Ranger's body as if filling a glass. Golden healing light suffused Troy's entire being but then a black image of Creepox's scythe-like claws appeared over Troy's chest.

Troy felt a gentle warmth spread throughout his body but when it reached his chest it stopped. Without warning he was again battling Creepox, only this time the attack was worse. Not knowing if it was real he pulled on every ounce of remaining strength to defend himself but it was useless. Creepox easily dodged his blows and struck at his chest with a wicked laugh only this time he pushed him against the concrete wall effectively disabling him as claws lanced into already torn flesh. Troy's back arched as a gutteral howl tore from his battered body.

Jake was pulled into an image of a structure he quickly recognized as the battleground from mere minutes before. Hearing sounds of a struggle he located Creepox pinning Troy against the wall, claws searing into the Red Ranger's chest.

Immediately his snake ax was in hand and he charged, swinging with every ounce of power at his disposal. The now-golden blade cleaved the monster's body in two which vanished in a black puff of smoke. Jake dropped the ax and knelt next to his fallen leader gently turning him on his back. Troy coughed convulsively as Jake slid an arm under Troy's shoulders and lifted to cradle his upper body. So weakend by battle, he was unable to move instead his head lolled against the Black Ranger's arm. With hands clasped and arms encircling Troy's damaged chest, Jake took a deep breath and bright golden light enveloped the teens.

All at once, Troy was floating in a golden pool. He felt the deep lacerations on his chest begin to heal while the excruciating pain simply melted away.

Jake felt Troy's entire body relax in his arms as the insectoid's damage was repaired. A calm peace overtook him. When the power was finally reflected back at Jake, he let go. The rangers who helped him faded away but not before he felt their warm approval of his selfless sacrifice to help his teammate.

The glow dissipated and Jake found himself sitting on the floor of the Command Center utterly exhausted. He looked quickly towards Troy. The Red Ranger was sleeping peacefully with the previous lines of pain and exhaustion gone.

"Gosei?" Jake hesitantly spoke pulling the blanket up to cover Troy.

"You have done well Jake. The poison has been removed and he sleeps to heal. You must rest as well."

"No need to tell me twice," Jake muttered crawling onto the bed behind him. In moments he was asleep as well.

PRM PRM PRM

Minutes after Jake had fallen asleep, the remaining three rangers entered the Command Center.

"Troy! Jake! What happened?" Emma and Gia exclaimed immediately rushing towards the teens. Both girls hesitated at the beds, but Noah stepped forward and knelt between the two. Reaching out he felt a strong steady pulse from Jake, then turned to Troy. Pulling the blanket back slightly, they all gasped at the sight of bandages encircling Troy's chest with thin lines of blood seeping through.

"I thought he said he was just exhausted," Noah worried.

Gosei spoke before they could ask too many questions. "Troy and Jake are in a healing slumber. Jake will awaken in 12 hours, Troy in 24 hours. They must have quiet. In the meantime, the three of you must be prepared to handle any threat that comes."

All three nodded.

"For now you should rest yourselves. You can stay here with them. Tensou, bring out more beds and do it quietly." A small squeak from the robot and he zoomed out of the central area to bring the requested items.

Noah turned to the girls. "You should go first. I'll stay with them for now."

Gia hugged Emma. "Come on," she urged the Pink Ranger, "let's go get cleaned up and bring something to eat." A teary Emma nodded and the two girls left.

Noah adjusted the blanket covering Troy then spread a second blanket over Jake. Pulling an empty bed over he placed it perpendicular to the heads of the other two beds so he could keep an eye on his teammates and sat down.

PRM PRM PRM

Twelve hours later, Jake awoke to find Gia and Noah slumbering on nearby beds and Emma crouching next to him. "Good morning," she greeted him.

"Hi," Jake scrubbed a hand across his face. Memory clicked in and he looked anxiously at Troy's bed to find their leader was still sleeping peacefully. Swinging his legs over the side of the bed, he sat up noting the position of the other beds: Noah's at the top, Emma and Gia's on either side of him and Troy and Tensou powered down at the foot of their beds. He smiled knowing the entire team was there for each other.

Emma smiled too. "How are you feeling?" she asked.

"Fine. I feel like I could take on the Armada myself," he grinned. Just then his stomach growled loudly. "Um, maybe some breakfast would be a better idea."

"I've got some food over here," Emma chuckled, standing up.

Jake stretched then bent to check on Troy. Peeking under the blanket, he was relieved to see there was no more seepage of blood and curiously enough, the blood that _had_ seeped through was gone. Jake breathed a sigh of relief then carefully tucked the blanket back in place before following Emma.

PRM PRM PRM

The teammates passed the day quietly relaxing in the cave or walking outside. Lights were dimmed and noise was minimal to allow Troy the healing sleep he so desperately needed. Fortunately no calls came in and the teens were able to recharge themselves. Troy was never alone as each teammate took turns sitting with him throughout the day.

As the twenty four hour mark approached, Gosei spoke in a low tone. "Rangers. Troy will awaken better if you are there to help him."

"What do we need to do?" Gia wanted to know.

"Position yourselves around him and morph so he feels safety when he returns." Jake resumed his position of the previous day and the others followed suit, Emma at the head of the bed, Noah opposite Jake, and Gia at the foot of the bed. Though they were slightly anxious for their leader's return, they quietly morphed then removed their helmets and set them on the floor. After a moment they suddenly reached out to join hands and a circle of shimmering light shined around them.

PRM PRM PRM

Gradually awareness filtered through Troy's consciousness. He sensed he was not in his own bed but it wasn't a place of danger. Rather he could feel a protective force surrounding him. Puzzled, he allowed himself to become fully awake before opening his eyes. There was a gentle hum reverberating off multiple surfaces which sounded quite like the Command Center. A chirpy squeak like Tensou and his eyes cracked open to see the most amazing sight of his fellow Rangers surrounding him and a soft glow enveloping him.

"He's awake," Jake murmured. Not wanting to overwhelm Troy, the others slowly lowered their hands and the glow faded. Noah grasped Troy's left shoulder as Emma stepped up to give Troy a gentle hug. Gia smiled and Troy turned his head towards Jake. No words were necessary as the Black Ranger gripped Troy's forearm.

"How do you feel?" Jake asked.

"Like I've had the best sleep of my life," Troy joked cautiously stretching. The others demorphed as he pushed the blanket aside and carefully sat up.

"Take it easy Troy, one thing at a time bro," Jake cautioned. "Let's check those bandages first."

"Emma let's go make some dinner," Gia said steering Emma out of the room.

"Noah can you find another set of clothes for Troy?" Jake asked. Noah nodded, understanding the two rangers needed a moment of private conversation.

Jake eased back one edge of the bandage and to his and Troy's surprise, there was no longer a wound underneath. Jake grabbed the bandage scissors and cut through the ace wrap and the gauze covering Troy's now-previous wounds fell away to reveal four light-colored lines crossing his chest. Even the butterfly clips had unstuck. "How?" Jake wondered.

"I guess Ranger healing is a powerful force," Troy responded. "If these weren't here, I wouldn't know I'd been injured. It feels like I've simply slept well." A genuine smile appeared. "Thank you Jake."

Jake quirked a half smile. "You're welcome bro. We're a team, we work together." The two rangers gripped each other's shoulders as Noah walked back in.

"Are you going to be ok?" Noah was startled to see remains of Creepox's venomous attack across Troy's chest.

"I'm fine Noah, it doesn't hurt anymore," Troy answered pulling the tshirt on. "Jake healed me."

"He healed you?" Noah was curious. Was this a new power the Rangers had never tapped into before? Dozens of questions tumbled through his mind.

Gia reentered the cavern in time to hear Noah's question. "You were healed? How?"

Troy and Jake looked at each other. "It's a long story," Jake shrugged.

"Well, you can tell us all about it. Dinner's ready."

A quiet growl echoed through the cave and Troy stood up. "I think that's my stomach saying food first, explanations later." The teens laughed as they headed out together to eat and celebrate another win.

The End


End file.
